Mother and father married on 15th December 1973, taking a honeymoon in Blackpool.  On new years day they moved into attic rooms at 144 Tempest Road, then the day after father started work at Booth & Co Solicitors, where he was to remain, throughout a couple of mergers and renamings, until 2008.

Mother and father bought their first house in summer 1974, being 14 Dawlish Terrace, not far from the flat where fathers mother, Joyce, still resided.  In July 1980 their first child was born, followed by a second one in July 1983.  In May 1983 they purchased a brand new house on the Pendas Fields development in Cross Gates, being 11 Dovedale Gardens, bought for £30,000 and sold nine years later for £72,000.

Whilst the purchase of mothers current residence in Whitkirk was going through, the family lived briefly in a flat rented through the estate agent mother worked in, before the move to Whitkirk happening in June 1992, buying for £85,000.  Fathers response to falling interest rates in the late 1990s/early 00s was to continue paying off the mortgage at the same level, with the result that it was redeemed early; he always had a conservative, cautious view towards financial matters.

From the early 1970s father attended church, first at West Grange, and then from 1983 in this building.

Whilst at Booth & Co, father sat ONC and HNC exams in accountancy, and also became a member of CILEX (chartered institute of legal executives).

Father never owned a car, taking lessons though failing his test and sadly never trying again.  Working in the city centre, father was able to travel everywhere needed by public transport.  This may have contributed to myself owning and restoring a couple of Leeds buses, used for shows.

In 1993 mother brought Charlie, an English springer spaniel, to the family home.  Father spent the first few nights in the other room, for he did not wish to have a dog, though this viewpoint quickly mellowed.  When Charlie was near the end of his life, father spent an entire afternoon on the floor cuddling the dog.  Father loved his walks to Temple Newsam with Charlie.

Family holidays from mid 80s to mid 90s were to Filey, a place father loved.

From the late 1980s, mother and father had a succession of budgies, with at least two being called Dinky and another two called Billy, only ever one budgie at a time.

Music was a major part of fathers life, throughout.  He was a particular fan of Trax Records, spending hours browsing their shop in York, and being upset when it closed.

Pop groups father was a fan of included the Hollies, the Beach Boys, the Association, the Carpenters, Crosby Stills & Nash, the Mamas and the Papas, The Move, Elton John, The Beatles.

Father also developed an interest in classical music, and was able to recognise many pieces.  This interest started by attending concerts from the early 70s, first on the cheap wooden seats at Leeds Town Hall behind the orchestra, progressing to the top price seats in the stalls as wealth increased.  Father introduced his children to the great composers, including Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, Mozart, Handel, Bach, Mahler, Liszt, Haydn and Grieg.  After mother discounted the 1812 Overture as being unsuitable for a funeral, I chose ‘Morning’ from Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite Number 1 as the entry music for this service, and took pleasure in playing this and various other contenders to fathers grandson, Noah.